A light set on a hill

by Daphne Lord

Today, December 12 all eyes will be focused on the metropolitan Cathedral of Sri Lanka - St. Lucia’s Cathedral in Kotahena, Colombo North, for the feast of St. Lucy, its Patroness whose feast will be celebrated this year, one day before her feast.

The late D. J. B. Kuruppu, who compiled and published a souvenir of the Golden Jubilee and Consecration of the Cathedral, said, “Glinting in Colombo’s sun, soaring aloft into her blue sky, lording it over the city, rises on high the silvery dome of St. Lucia’s Cathedral.”

Below, girding her massive walls are Good Shepherd Convent and St. Benedict’s College, other institutions, stretching around on every side. Crowding one upon the other, stand the dwelling homes, the pleasure resorts, the business emporia of the good people of Kotahena - one of the most populous wards of Ceylon’s metropolis.”

Kotahena was first known as Kottan Chena - chena of kottan (native almond) trees. The Portuguese called the place Kotachena: and the Dutch, Kotanchena, and the British called it Cottan China and Kottanchina. In 1870 due to various criticism and protests, it was called Kotahena.

The present Cathedral dedicated to St. Lucy is 248 years old, and has been a spiritual oasis and a haven of rest to many thousands in kotahena, as well as the surrounding areas.

It has a mixture of several ethnic groups - Sinhalese, Tamils, Burghers, Colombo Chetties, Bharathas and Muslims, but religious harmony and neighbourliness pervades in Kotahena with caring and sharing among all communities and religions.

The Queen of lights, St. Lucy (also known as Lucia) whose feast day is celebrated tomorrow was born in Syracuse in Sicily about 283 AD. Her parents were Christians, but Lucy’s father died when she was a few months old, and she was brought up solely by her mother. From a very early age, Lucy, consecrated herself to god, without confiding in anyone, not even her mother.

As Lucy means ‘light’, she became the patron saint for the “Light of the eyes”, and today those who are born blind or stricken with blindness and other eye ailments such as glaucoma and cataract, pray to her and ask her to intercede to God the Father, to give them back their sight, if He so wills it.

Many stories have been handed down from generation to generation concerning St. Lucy. She vowed to live a single life of blessedness serving only God and the poor. She followed in the footsteps of her favourite saint, St. Agatha. Lucy’s mother, however, thought otherwise and arranged a marriage for her with a non-Christian. But Lucy knew that there was a much more powerful partner in life - Jesus Christ.

Her would-be husband denounced her as a Christian to the Governor of Syracuse Sicily. Miraculously unable to move her or burn her, the guards took her eyes out with a fork. She was finally condemned to death in AD 304. The legend concludes, however, with God restoring the Martyr’s eyes.

Whatever the legends surrounding St. Lucy are, the truth is that her courage to stand up fearlessly, and be counted a Christian inspite of torture and death, is the light that should lead us on our journey through life.

Relying on Your goodness, O God, we humbly ask you, by the intercession of your servant, Saint Lucy, to give perfect vision to our eyes, that we may serve for your greater honour and glory. And we pray for the salvation of our souls in this world, that we may come to the enjoyment of the unfailing light of the Lamb of God in heaven.

St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr, hear our prayers and answer our petitions.

Amen.